I’ve been reading through some of your posts and love the detail in them, and how you structure it as well. I wish the editors and powers-that-be that run the actual news outlets read some of this.
I can only speak to the TV side of this... and every newsroom is different, whether it's TV, radio, or print, so audience frameworks may land differently depending on the medium.
Back when I was producing local TV news, you didn't need a framework to know your audience... the Oprah lead-in told you exactly who was sitting on that couch at 5PM. You adjusted the rundown accordingly. That was the data. Whether today's executives still think that way... competing with streaming, cable, TikTok, on demand, a completely fractured attention landscape... I honestly don't know.
Sometimes the audience tells you exactly what they need without saying a word. Second anniversary of 9/11... I produced a cold open with the natural sound of the solemn ceremony, the toll of the bells, a family member pausing between name readings to say something poignant about their loved one, and a Bloomberg soundbite. The country was still healing. Everyone knew the story. I got out of the way and let the moment be the moment. The News Director didn't say anything afterward. Neither did anyone else. That was how I knew it worked.
Excellent insights. I’ve explored some of them here: https://technewstt.com/bd1559-reuters-report-young-news-readers/
I’ve been reading through some of your posts and love the detail in them, and how you structure it as well. I wish the editors and powers-that-be that run the actual news outlets read some of this.
Thank you! I hope the right people will take a look and consider some of the solutions I present in each edition.
I can only speak to the TV side of this... and every newsroom is different, whether it's TV, radio, or print, so audience frameworks may land differently depending on the medium.
Back when I was producing local TV news, you didn't need a framework to know your audience... the Oprah lead-in told you exactly who was sitting on that couch at 5PM. You adjusted the rundown accordingly. That was the data. Whether today's executives still think that way... competing with streaming, cable, TikTok, on demand, a completely fractured attention landscape... I honestly don't know.
Sometimes the audience tells you exactly what they need without saying a word. Second anniversary of 9/11... I produced a cold open with the natural sound of the solemn ceremony, the toll of the bells, a family member pausing between name readings to say something poignant about their loved one, and a Bloomberg soundbite. The country was still healing. Everyone knew the story. I got out of the way and let the moment be the moment. The News Director didn't say anything afterward. Neither did anyone else. That was how I knew it worked.